Jon Bernson
Encyclopedia
Jon Bernson is an American
singer, songwriter and recordist from San Francisco, California.
For eight years, Bernson led the indie-folk band Ray's Vast Basement and developed a multimedia approach that is frequently referred to as 'musical fiction'. Current projects include Exray's (his post Ray's Vast Basement moniker), Window Twins, THEMAYS and an untitled collaboration with metal sculptor Cedric Wentworth.
, Horsefeathers, The Mountain Goats
and Thao With The Get Down Stay Down. The band contributed to a variety of compilations, most notably the Verse Press Isn't It Romantic audio book which featured Richard Buckner
, Jeff Tweedy
, Jason Molina and David Berman. In addition to these recording efforts, Bernson also penned a short book that details a fictional mythology behind his creations.
from the Decemberists. Warren Huegel from Citay
, Tim Cohen from The Fresh and Onlys, Dominic Cramp from Evangelista and Jason Kick from Maus Haus.
Exray's first official song Everything Goes ) appeared on Secret Seven's In a Cloud: New Sounds from San Francisco compilation, which also includes songs by Thee Oh Sees, Kelley Stoltz
, The Fresh and Onlys, Tim Cohen, Sonny and the Sunsets, The Sandwitches, Grass Widow and others.
in 2005. Two years later, this music was released as a critically acclaimed album called Starvation Under Orange Trees. The Exray's song 'Hesitation' was used in the soundtrack for David Fincher
's major motion picture The Social Network
, about the controversial founding of Facebook
. Vera Freitag's 2006 film In a Steel Box also features a full soundtrack of Bernson's original music.
and Cohen has contributed to Ray's Vast Basement recordings since 2006.
's Scratch
, an award-winning movie about the history of turntablism.
called 1924 Franklin is a Car. This space has been the main location for many of Bernson's recording projects and the site of many impromptu sessions with Zapruder. Other recording credits include work with Scott Pinkmountain, Black Fiction, The Lovely Public, Gene V. Baker, Anamude, P.A.F. and Raised By Spacemen.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer, songwriter and recordist from San Francisco, California.
For eight years, Bernson led the indie-folk band Ray's Vast Basement and developed a multimedia approach that is frequently referred to as 'musical fiction'. Current projects include Exray's (his post Ray's Vast Basement moniker), Window Twins, THEMAYS and an untitled collaboration with metal sculptor Cedric Wentworth.
Ray's Vast Basement
Early Ray's Vast Basement performances began in 1999 as a one-man show http://www.allmusic.com/artist/rays-vast-basement-p577403/biography that incorporated music, sound design, video, storytelling, dance and tableau. Subsequent shows added a full band that toured the U.S. numerous times in support of two cassette releases and three full-length CD's []. Ray's Vast Basement shared the stage with many of today's leading indie folk figures, including Jolie HollandJolie Holland
Jolie Holland is an American singer and performer who combines elements of folk, traditional, country, rock, jazz, and blues...
, Horsefeathers, The Mountain Goats
The Mountain Goats
The Mountain Goats is an American indie rock band formed in Claremont, CA by singer-songwriter John Darnielle. For many years, the sole member of the Mountain Goats was Darnielle himself, despite the plural moniker....
and Thao With The Get Down Stay Down. The band contributed to a variety of compilations, most notably the Verse Press Isn't It Romantic audio book which featured Richard Buckner
Richard Buckner
Richard Buckner is an American singer-songwriter born in California. After living in Edmonton, Alberta for a number of years, he currently resides in Brooklyn, NY...
, Jeff Tweedy
Jeff Tweedy
Jeffrey Scot "Jeff" Tweedy is an American songwriter, musician and leader of the band Wilco. Tweedy joined rockabilly band The Plebes with high school friend Jay Farrar in the early 1980s, but Tweedy's musical interests caused one of Farrar's brothers to quit...
, Jason Molina and David Berman. In addition to these recording efforts, Bernson also penned a short book that details a fictional mythology behind his creations.
Exray's
Without explanation, Bernson abandoned the name Ray's Vast Basement in 2008 and adopted the Exray's moniker in collaboration with Micheal Falsetto-Mapp http://www.exraysvision.com. Exray's debut performance at SXSW was followed by a national tour and numerous unofficial live recordings. Exray's first studio recording (Ammunition Teeth) was released via cassette on 10.12.10. The band's first LP is due on 1.25.11 (Howells Transmitter)http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/exrays/id393023623. It features contributions by Nate QueryNate Query
Nate Query plays electric bass, upright bass, and cello in the rock band The Decemberists. He is also credited on Michael Zapruder's record. Former bands include Calobo and Everyday Dirt. His most recent project is the acoustic band Black Prairie with a number of other Portland...
from the Decemberists. Warren Huegel from Citay
Citay
Citay is a San Francisco band currently released on Dead Oceans. The band was formed in 2004 by Ezra Feinberg as a studio project with Tim Green from The Fucking Champs, and some help from others. There is now a live band including members of Tussle, The Dry Spells, Sean Smith, 3 Leafs, and Daevid...
, Tim Cohen from The Fresh and Onlys, Dominic Cramp from Evangelista and Jason Kick from Maus Haus.
Exray's first official song Everything Goes ) appeared on Secret Seven's In a Cloud: New Sounds from San Francisco compilation, which also includes songs by Thee Oh Sees, Kelley Stoltz
Kelley Stoltz
Kelley Stoltz is an American singer, songwriter and musician. He currently resides in San Francisco, Calif.. His music has been compared to that of Brian Wilson, The Velvet Underground, Nick Drake and Leonard Cohen.-Musical career:...
, The Fresh and Onlys, Tim Cohen, Sonny and the Sunsets, The Sandwitches, Grass Widow and others.
Soundtracks
Since 2001 Bernson has written numerous soundtracks for theater and film. His most well known score is a cycle of songs written and performed for a staged version of John Steinbeck's Of Mice and MenOf Mice and Men
Of Mice and Men is a novella written by Nobel Prize-winning author John Steinbeck. Published in 1937, it tells the tragic story of George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced migrant ranch workers during the Great Depression in California, USA....
in 2005. Two years later, this music was released as a critically acclaimed album called Starvation Under Orange Trees. The Exray's song 'Hesitation' was used in the soundtrack for David Fincher
David Fincher
David Andrew Leo Fincher is an American film and music video director. Known for his dark and stylish thrillers, such as Seven , The Game , Fight Club , Panic Room , and Zodiac , Fincher received Academy Award nominations for Best Director for his 2008 film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and...
's major motion picture The Social Network
The Social Network
The Social Network is a 2010 American drama film directed by David Fincher and written by Aaron Sorkin. Adapted from Ben Mezrich's 2009 book The Accidental Billionaires, the film portrays the founding of social networking website Facebook and the resulting lawsuits...
, about the controversial founding of Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
. Vera Freitag's 2006 film In a Steel Box also features a full soundtrack of Bernson's original music.
Window Twins
Window Twins is a collaborative group with Tim Cohen that led to an LP called I'm This Tall Cityhttp://www.allmusic.com/album/im-this-tall-city-r1493768 in 2008. Window Twins began as a duo, but now includes Kevin E. Taylor, a multi-instrumentalist and prolific visual artist. The collaboration between Bernson and Cohen has taken other forms over a five year period. Bernson was a member of Cohen's Black FictionBlack Fiction
Black Fiction is an indie rock band from San Francisco, CA.-History:The band came about because of a friendship between multi-instrumentalist and songwriter, Tim Cohen and bassist Evan Martin. The two met in 1999 while working together, and would write songs during their lunch breaks...
and Cohen has contributed to Ray's Vast Basement recordings since 2006.
Urban Music Program
In 1997 Bernson started the Urban Music Programhttp://urbanmusicprogram.org/, an audio creation club for youth. Part of the Sunset Neighborhood Beacon Center in San Francisco, UMP has generated hundreds of original pieces music which have been released as a series of twenty CDR's known as 'Beacon Beats'. Bernson's work in the UMP has also led to a series of experimental drone records under THEMAYS moniker. KNOWFI (the debut release) was put out by Gigante Sound in 2009. The club's dedication to DJ'ing was featured in Doug PrayDoug Pray
Doug Pray is an American documentary film director, cinematographer, and editor who often explores unique subcultures in his films. His work includes Surfwise a portrait of the nomadic, 11-member Doc Paskowitz family ; Big Rig , a documentary about truck drivers; Infamy , a documentary about...
's Scratch
Scratch
Scratch may refer to:* A mark or indentation on a surface: Abrasion It may also refer to:- Recordings :* Scratch , by Kaela Kimura* Scratch , the soundtrack to the 2001 documentary Scratch...
, an award-winning movie about the history of turntablism.
1924 Franklin is a Car
Since 2004 Bernson has shared a small recording studio with songwriter Michael ZapruderMichael Zapruder
Michael Zapruder is an American musician and songwriter. He lives in Oakland, California. He is an award-winning songwriter and recording artist, a co-founder of San Francisco's Howells Transmitter arts collective and record label, and the head curator for Pandora, the popular internet radio...
called 1924 Franklin is a Car. This space has been the main location for many of Bernson's recording projects and the site of many impromptu sessions with Zapruder. Other recording credits include work with Scott Pinkmountain, Black Fiction, The Lovely Public, Gene V. Baker, Anamude, P.A.F. and Raised By Spacemen.
Howells Transmitter
Bernson is a founding member of the Howells Transmitter http://www.howellstransmitter.com arts collaborative and record label. Other principal members include Jennifer Welch, Michael Zapruder and Colin Held. Howells Transmitter is home to a stylistically diverse group of artists: Charles Atlas, The Fresh and Onlys, Michael Zapruder's Rain of Frogs, Black Fiction, Scott Pinkmountain, Window Twins, Ray's Vast Basement, Modular Set and contributors to the Wiretap Music Compilation. Howells Transmitter has produced numerous plays and poetry readings, in addition to its musical endeavors.Discography
- Ray's Vast Basement / SELF-TITLED - cassette (1998)
- Ray's Vast Basement / SONGS FROM DRAKESVILLE - cassette (1999)
- Ray's Vast Basement / ON THE BANKS OF THE TIME - cd (2000, rereleased with new cover in 2004)
- Ray's Vast Basement/ BY A RIVER BURNING BLUE - cd (2004)
- Ray's Vast Basement / OF MICE AND MEN - ep (2005)
- Ray's Vast Basement / STARVATION UNDER ORANGE TREES - cd (Howells Transmitter 2007)
- Window Twins / I'M THIS TALL CITY - Vinyl (Broken Twilight & Howells Transmitter 2008)
- THEMAYS / KNOWFI - CD (Gigante Sound 2009)
- THEMAYS / KNOWEYE - CD / DVD (Howells Transmitter 2010)
- Exray's / AMMUNITION TEETH - ep cassette & digital download (Howells Transmitter 2010)
- Exray's - LP (1.25.11)
Soundtracks
- The Lucky Spot - Beth Henley / Actors Theater (1998)
- Spoon River AnthologySpoon River AnthologySpoon River Anthology , by Edgar Lee Masters, is a collection of short free-form poems that collectively describe the life of the fictional small town of Spoon River, named after the real Spoon River that ran near Masters' home town. The collection includes two hundred and twelve separate...
- Edgar Lee Masters / Shelton Theater (1999) - SNAKE IN FRIDGE - Brad Fraser / Actors Theater (2001)
- THE OPEN COUPLE - Dario Fo / Expression Theater (2002)
- CHEMISTRY OF CHANGE - Marlane Meyer / Actors Theater (2002)
- ART OF ETIOLATION - Mia Paschal / Film (2004)
- Of Mice and MenOf Mice and MenOf Mice and Men is a novella written by Nobel Prize-winning author John Steinbeck. Published in 1937, it tells the tragic story of George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced migrant ranch workers during the Great Depression in California, USA....
- John Steinbeck / Actors Theater (2005) - IN A STEEL BOX - Vera Freitag / Documentary (2005)
- The Social NetworkThe Social NetworkThe Social Network is a 2010 American drama film directed by David Fincher and written by Aaron Sorkin. Adapted from Ben Mezrich's 2009 book The Accidental Billionaires, the film portrays the founding of social networking website Facebook and the resulting lawsuits...
(includes the Exray's song, 'Hesitation') - David FincherDavid FincherDavid Andrew Leo Fincher is an American film and music video director. Known for his dark and stylish thrillers, such as Seven , The Game , Fight Club , Panic Room , and Zodiac , Fincher received Academy Award nominations for Best Director for his 2008 film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and...
/ Feature Film (2010)
Compilations
- SURPRISE PARTIE OPTIMISTE - LP (Vivonzeureux 2003)
- CITY SESSIONS, Volume 1 / CD (2004)
- ISN'T IT ROMANTIC - CD / Book (Verse Press 2005)
- WIRETAP MUSIC PRESENTS: COVERS - CD (Howells Transmitter 2009)
- IN A CLOUD: NEW SOUNDS FROM SAN FRANCISCO - LP (Secret Seven 2010)
Sound Design & Coordination
- A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE - Arthur Miller / Actors Theater (2005)
- NIGHT OF THE IGUANA - Tennessee Williams / Actors Theater (2006)
- BURIED CHILD - Sam Shepard / Actors Theater (2008)
- GRAPES OF WRATH - John Steinbeck / Actors Theater (2009)
Producing and Recording
- Modular Set / BEACHED ON THE HALF LANDING - CD (Howells Transmitter 2005)
- Anamude / PEG & AWL - Single (Hinah Records 2006)
- Michael Zapruder - NEW WAYS OF LETTING GO - CD (Howells Transmitter 2006)
- P.A.F. - FINGERPRINTS, MEDICINE - CD (New World of Sound 2006)
- Black Fiction - HAPPY HOLIDAYS - EP (2006)
- The Lovely Public - BURNING TAPE AT THE MYSTERY DINNER - CD (Wall of Noise 2006)
- Scott Pinkmountain - THE FULL SUN - CD (Howells Transmitter 2008)